Scientific Method & Experimental Design

After completing this unit, you should be able to

• Outline the scientific method as an iterative process of observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, data collection & analysis, and conclusion drawing.
• Use spreadsheets to enter and manage data.
• Describe the key components of experimental design to ensure conclusions are reliable.
• Generate and interpret descriptive statistics summarizing distribution, central tendency and variability of a data set.
• Execute and interpret a statistical to determine the probability that results are result of sampling error and do not represent reality.

Over the course of the semester you will be introduced to fundamental principles of scientific method and experimental design and start to built a basic tool kit of data analysis skills. Additionally, you will develop your scientific writing skills as you compile a report on each of the three projects we will work on. We will complete various activities in parallel to your first research projects as you develop these skills.